1. The Classical Empires of
Persia
! Four major dynasties
 Achaemenids (558-330 BCE)
 Seleucids (323-283 BCE)
 Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE)
 Sasanids (224-651 CE)
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2. The Classical Empires of
Persia
! Four major dynasties
 Achaemenids (558-330 BCE)
 Seleucids (323-283 BCE)
 Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE)
 Sasanids (224-651 CE)
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4. Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE)
 Ushers in a new era in world history - EMPIRE on a new
scale (Mediterranean Sea to India!)
 Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia,
before 1000 BCE into modern-day Iran
 Indo-Europeans
 Capitalized on weakening Mesopotamian civs - Assyrian
and Babylonian empires
 Cyrus the Great (r. 558-530 BCE) founder of dynasty
 A tolerant ruler  he allowed different cultures within his
empire to keep their own
institutions.
 The Greeks called him a “Law-Giver.”
 The Jews called him “the anointed of the Lord.”
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5. Cyrus the Great
580 – 529 B. C. E.

6. Cyrus the Great
580 – 529 B. C. E.

7. Achaemenid Administration: The
Satrapies
 Had to rule a VAST empire with over 70
ethnicities
 23 Administrative divisions
 Satraps Persian, but staff principally local
 System of spies, surprise audits
 Minimized possibilities of local rebellion
 Standardized currency for taxation purposes
 Also standardized tribute system (taxation)
 Massive road building, courier services
 Built Persepolis 5
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8. Ancient Persepolis

9. Technologies
 Iron metallurgy
 Qanat: System of underground canals
 Avoided excessive loss to evaporation
 Extensive road-building
 Persian Royal Road
 2,575 km or 1,600 miles, some of it paved!
 Also new highways or improved existing roads into Egypt,
India, etc... (13,000 km!)
 Courier service (111 postal stations at 40-50 km apart)
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10. Persian “Royal Road”

11. Decline of the Achaemenid Empire
 Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius
 Xerxes (486-465 BCE) attempts to impose
Persian stamp on satrapies; intolerance
 Increasing public discontent
 Had hardest time with ethnic GREEKS in
Anatolia (esp. Ionia - along coast) and their
cousins across the sea
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12. Persian Wars (500-479 BCE)
 Rebellious Greeks in Ionia
 Peninsular Greeks join in
 Long, costly campaign to conquer the Greeks
 Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE),
retreated
 For next 150 years, kept fighting
 Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid
Empire (334-331 BCE)
 continues the administrative legacy of the Achaemenids
 dies in 323 BCE and empire is divided...
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13. Seleucid Empire
 Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus
(r. 305-281 BCE)
 Retained Achaemenid administrative and other
structures
 Faced opposition from native Persians and
others...
 Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of
Parthians
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14. The Achaemenid and Selucid Empires, 558-83 BCE
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15. Parthian Empire
 Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran
 Federated governmental structure
 Especially strong cavalry (bigger horses!)
 Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans
 Fell to internal rebellion
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16. Sasanid Empire (224-651 CE)
 Claimed descent from Achaemenids
 Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the
west, Kush in the east
 Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651
 Persian administration and culture absorbed into
local Islamic culture
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17. The Parthian and Sasanid Empires, 247 BCE-651
CE
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18. Persian Society
 Early steppe traditions
 Warriors, priests, peasants (early social structure)
 semi-nomadic
 Family/clan kinship very important
 Creation of bureaucrat class with empire
 Tax collectors
 Record keepers
 translators (facilitated communication among the many
peoples within empire)
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19. Slave Class
 Prisoners of war, conquered populations
 Debtors
 Children, spouses also sold into slavery
 Principally domestic servitude
 Some agricultural labor, public works (qanats)
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20. Persian Economy
 Several areas exceptionally fertile
 old river valley civ areas
 Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-
building and standardized coins
 Goods from India especially valued
 Most Persians were free classes (artisans,
merchants, textile production, peasants working
as laborers
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21. Zoroastrianism (switch to charts)
 Early Aryan influences on Persian religious
traditions (natural elements/geographic features)
 Will influence the beliefs and values of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam
 Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE)
 a prophet for the “wise lord”
 Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi
 doctrine of good v. evil
 humans would undergo judgement based on works in this life
 heaven and hell idea
 Humans could and should enjoy life (in moderation)
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22. Zarathustra [Zoroaster],
6c BCE:
Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good
Words
“Tree of Life”

23. Dualistic Battle of
Good vs. Evil
Ahura Mazda Ahriman
“Holy “Destructive
Spirit” (who will Spirit”
ultimately defeat
evil)

24. Zend-Avesta
(The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire”  the force
to fight evil.

25. Extent of Zoroastrianism

26. Zoroastrianism in the empire...
 Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi, burning
Zoroastrian temples
 Weak Parthian support
 Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of non-
Zoroastrians
 Discrimination under Islam
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27. Other Religious Groups in the Persian
Empire
 Because of the tolerance of most leaders...
 Jewish communities
 Christianity and Buddhism also find converts
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28. The Fall...
I. Xerxes’ policies
II. Persian Wars (500-479 BCE)
III. Alexander of Macedon (Great)
IV. Seleucids, Parthians, Sasanids
V. Incorported into the Islamic empire
(651 CE)
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29. The Essential Question...
What were the strategies used by
Persian empire rulers that allowed it to
be so durable?